


Playing Chess

by Alisanne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 06:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14949750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alisanne/pseuds/Alisanne
Summary: It’s inevitable, really. And Ron’s too good a chess player not to see it coming.





	Playing Chess

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** Written for Hogwarts365's prompt # 247: “Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.” ― Euripides, The Bacchae, Working Hard, Blue.
> 
> **Beta(s):** Sevfan and Emynn.
> 
> **Disclaimer:** The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

~

Playing Chess

~

At first, Ron’s skeptical. For Merlin’s sake, Snape’s been such a pillock to all of them, especially Harry. Ron’s not sure how anyone could overlook the public humiliation, the sneering, and, in the end, the way he berates Harry (and Ron and Hermione) for returning to save him. Apparently he’d counted on dying and is miffed at them for not letting it happen. 

What he obviously hasn’t counted on is Harry. Harry, who’s grown up with abusive relatives and knows the difference between real hatred and fake. Harry, who’s also been protected by his mother’s love all his life, and, who, even though he’s not been consciously aware of that love, recognises true love when it appears. 

It’s inevitable, really. And Ron’s too good a chess player not to see it coming. 

“I finally saw Sev—Snape,” Harry says one night, and Ron, having learned his moods over the years, simply shrugs. 

“Yeah? And how is the Lord of Grouchiness?” 

Harry smiles. “Grouchy.” 

“Shocking.” Ron snorts. “Does this mean you’re over your obsession with him now?” 

“I’m not _obsessed_ ,” Harry protests, although he’s restless as he says it, his leg shaking, his fingers tapping on his thigh.

“Uh huh.” Ron bumps his shoulder. “Pull the other one, mate.” 

Harry throws a cautious glance Ron’s way. “What if—?” He lets the words hang in the damp evening air. 

Ron doesn’t say anything, he just settles in to wait, gazing out towards the Forbidden Forest. Beside him he can feel Harry working hard to come up with what he wants to say. Glancing down, he sees an ant crawling over his outstretched legs and idly wonders if Harry’ll spit out his question before it finishes its journey. 

“What if I fancy blokes?” 

Ron blinks. “That’s what you’ve been working your way up to saying?” He rolls his eyes. “Who cares?” He grins. “Although I wouldn’t tell Mum. She’ll have you and Charlie married in no time. She’s determined you’re joining the family.” 

Harry smiles. “Charlie’s gay?” 

“Is the sky blue? Yeah, he’s gay.” Ron chuckles. “Why do you think he limits his visits home? Mum keeps trying to set him up with blokes from Dad’s department.” 

“Oh.” 

Harry’s still tense, though, and since Ron can guess where the conversation’s probably going, he continues, “Guess that’s why you and Gin split up?” 

“Partly, yeah.” Harry sighs. “She’s the one who told me I was, even though I didn’t want to believe her. She even suggested—” He pauses again. 

Ron looks up at the night sky. The stars are twinkling down at them and everything’s so peaceful and calm it’s hard to believe they’d been fighting a war not six weeks earlier. 

“She thinks I fancy Snape. And I…think she may be right,” Harry whispers.

And there it is, the last piece is in place on the board. Ron nods, seeing the game unfold in his mind. “I thought it was something like that.” 

Harry turns to look at him. “You’re not…upset?” 

Ron sighs. Harry can read him, too, so he doesn’t lie. “Honestly, mate? He’s not who’d I’d’ve picked for you, but in the end yours is the choice that matters. So—”

Laughing, Harry shakes his head. “That’s a classic non-answer.” 

“I’m not…upset.” Ron shrugs. “You obviously see something in him I don’t, so I’ll reserve judgment, but you should know, if that bastard—”

Harry clears his throat. 

“—if he hurts you, I will _end_ him.” Ron isn’t joking, and Harry knows he’s isn’t. 

Harry nods. “I suspect he knows that.” 

“And if there’s anything left when I’m done, Hermione will incinerate the rest and scatter the ashes.” 

Harry grins. “Yep, I expect you’re right. So, does that mean you’re okay if we double date?” 

“Bloody hell,” Ron groans. “You don’t do anything by halves, do you?” 

“Nope!” 

Ron doesn’t say any more about it, and when they finally go to bed, Harry falls asleep quickly, clearly relaxed now he’s got his secret off his chest. It’s Ron who lies in the bed across the room from him, stares up at his curtains, and worries. 

Snape’s oddly quiet when they go out. Still acerbic, still dry, but he’s also funny, and witty, and Ron begins to warm to him, although he still can’t read the man. Hermione reserves judgement, eyeing Snape suspiciously when she thinks he’s not watching. Ron’s pretty sure he always is, though. 

The day Ron sees how Snape feels about Harry is just another day. They’re repairing Hogwarts, replacing ramparts, bolstering balustrades, when Terry Boot arrives and starts flirting with everyone, but especially Harry. 

Harry, bless him, is clueless, smiling innocently at Boot as Snape hovers and glowers in the background, clearly eavesdropping. 

Ron, less subtle, walks right up to them. “Hey, Boot,” he says. “What are you up to these days?” 

“Oh, this and that.” He smirks at Harry. “I was just telling Harry he should apply with me to Gringotts’ Curse-Breaker programme. They get to travel to exciting places, and ever since reading about him in the _Prophet_ …Well, birds of a feather, eh?” He nudges Harry, who frowns. 

“Birds?” Harry says. “I’m not sure—”

“Oh, you know what I mean,” says Boot, winking. Unfortunately he looks like a myopic owl when he does it. 

“Is something in your eye?” asks Harry. 

Ron bites back a grin as an annoyed expression crosses Boot’s face. 

Harry, of course, has to fix everything, and Ron sees the impending disaster as he steps forward. “Here, let me see if I can get it out.” 

He leans in close to Boot, who no longer looks annoyed but triumphant, and Ron glances over at Snape, who’s watching. He blinks. Snape looks anguished, as if he’s being tortured, and for a moment, the world’s revealed in his eyes. When he sees Ron looking, however, he turns away. 

“Harry. Stop,” Ron hisses. 

“Hm?” Harry’s still peering into Boot’s eye. 

Ron clasps his shoulder. “Mate,” he says forcefully. “Stop.” He nods towards Snape, and Harry follows the direction of his gaze. 

Eyes going big, Harry moves away, Boot clearly forgotten. 

“Why’d you do that?” Boot whines.

“Shut it,” Ron says absently watching Harry approach Snape, whose shoulders are hunched. 

Snape stiffens when Harry touches him, eventually looking at Harry when he remains there. As far as Ron can see there are no words exchanged, only looks, and in those looks he sees Harry’s apology and Snape’s acceptance. They communicate wordlessly for a while until Snape inclines his head and smiles faintly. 

Ron exhales.

“Wait, is Potter with Snape now?” Boot asks. “Ew!” 

Without missing a beat, Ron hexes Boot. “Fuck off,” he says, smiling as Harry and Snape wander off together hand in hand. 

“Ow,” cries Boot, hopping away on one foot. “What’d you do that for?” 

Ron raises an eyebrow. “I’ll have a go at anyone who criticises my friend for who he loves, all right?” 

“Loves? You think he loves that—” Boot whimpers as Ron raises his wand once again. “Never mind! I’m leaving, all right? I’m going!” 

After making sure Boot truly leaves, Ron looks around. Not spotting Snape or Harry he sighs, finishing his bit of the wall. When twenty minutes pass, however, and there’s still no signs of Harry or Snape, he decides to make sure they’re all right. 

“Where are you going?” asks Hermione as he walks past her. 

“Gonna look for Harry.” 

“I’m sure he’s fine.” 

“Just gonna make sure.” 

“Ron, you probably shouldn’t—” Whatever else she says is lost as Ron moves away past the wall and circles around to the ruins of one of the smaller towers. And there he sees Harry and Snape kissing. 

He freezes, his mouth falling open. 

Harry has Snape pressed up against a wall, and as he watches, Snape…Well, Snape _surrenders_. His body moulds itself to Harry’s, his hands settling on Harry’s arse. They look like they belong, like a proper pair, and in that moment Ron sees the pieces of their lives as a chess board. 

It all unfolds in his mind. He sees them grow closer over the years, sees them make a home together, their lives entwining until they’re inseparable. 

Harry pulls back, kissing Snape’s neck, and Snape’s eyes open, immediately finding Ron’s. In that moment of connection, he sees in Snape adoration, devotion, love for Harry. 

Bowing his head, Ron turns away. Hermione’s right. Harry’s fine. Everyone should be so fine. By the time he gets back to Hermione, he’s smiling. 

“Did you find them?” 

Ron nods. “You were right. They’re fine. And I think they will be for a long time.” And leaning in, he kisses her.

“What was that for?” she asks. 

Ron grins. “Just celebrating a beautiful day.” 

~


End file.
